Help For Checkers

Introduction

This is the variant known as American Checkers or British
8x8 Draughts, as played by the American Checkers Federation and the British Draughts
Federation. For the 10x10 International Draughts variant, see the draughts
help page.

A note on checkers notation:
Traditional Checkers Notation numbers the dark squares from 1 to 32 and uses these numbers
to indicate the move. This server uses algebraic notation mainly because it is easier to
display, however the numbered notation is also accepted for moves. The number 1 square is
at B8, so an possible opening move could be sent as either D6-C5 or 10-14.

Checkers is played on the dark squares of a 8x8 checker
board. As shown below, each player starts with 12 men on the three rows closest to the
player. The dark color (Black) moves first, and players alternate turns.

The winner is the last player to complete a legal move.
Normally a player loses when all of his pieces are captured, thus leaving him with no
legal moves. But a player also loses if his remaining pieces have no legal moves.

Checkers move 1 space diagonally forward, or jump
diagonally forward over an adjacent piece to an empty space immediately beyond. The piece
which is jumped over is captured. A series of jumps with the same piece may be done in a
single turn.

When a checker reaches the far side of the board it is
"crowned" and becomes a King.

Kings move and jump the same as checkers, but may move and
capture backwards as well as forwards.

If a player has jumps available, he must jump. If a piece
can continue jumping, it must. However, if a player has a choice of jumps he can choose
any of them, not necessarily the longest one.

When making multiple jumps, all jumps are first completed,
and then the captured pieces are removed from the board. However, you may not jump over
the same piece twice.